“…Or the Bible”

Chapter 7How to Read Literature

Like a ProfessorMeredith SpradlinGeach

Period 6September 28,2011

From poets, to playwrights, to screenwriters, to novelists, those who produce and create literature refer and draw from elements of the Bible more so than with any other book in the world. “A garden, a serpent, plagues, flood, parting of waters, loaves, fishes, forty days, betrayal, denial, slavery and escape, fatted calves, and honey. Ever read a book with all these things in them?...So have your writers” (Foster 47).

Even the multitude of writers who do not classify themselves as Christians often incorporate biblical references into their writings, and, up until the mid-twentieth century, almost every author across the world was familiarized with the Holy Book, and could count on their readers being so as well. Though the percentage of people who have read the Bible cover to cover has greatly decreased since earlier generations, writers today still include biblical references, both accidentally and purposely, in their writings.

Biblical References

“Maybe the author doesn’t want enriching motifs, characters,

themes, or plots, but just needs a title” (Foster 50).

•The Bible contains a plethora of possible terms and phrases that could serve as literary or film titles, or as character names.

•Labels and titles of characters and other literary elements provide a way to convey the themes and messages that the writer is attempting to show the reader, and are greatly important in both literature and film.

“Maybe the author doesn’t want enriching motifs, characters,

themes, or plots, but just needs a title” (Foster 50).

•The Bible contains a plethora of possible terms and phrases that could serve as literary or film titles, or as character names.

•Labels and titles of characters and other literary elements provide a way to convey the themes and messages that the writer is attempting to show the reader, and are greatly important in both literature and film.

A multitude of biblical names can be found in current pop culture, such as in the movie, “The Matrix.” The colony of rebels takes the name of Zion, which also serves as a symbol of Jerusalem in the Bible. One of the rebel ships is named Nebuchadnezzar, after the Ancient-Greek king of the Babylonian Empire, who is featured in the Book of David. Lastly, the list of character names is comprised of those such as Trinity, Abel, Seraph, and Cain, all of which are names of biblical figures.

A multitude of biblical names can be found in current pop culture, such as in the movie, “The Matrix.” The colony of rebels takes the name of Zion, which also serves as a symbol of Jerusalem in the Bible. One of the rebel ships is named Nebuchadnezzar, after the Ancient-Greek king of the Babylonian Empire, who is featured in the Book of David. Lastly, the list of character names is comprised of those such as Trinity, Abel, Seraph, and Cain, all of which are names of biblical figures.

Titles and Names

•Though biblical labels and terms are a necessary part of religious references, more commonly used are situations and quotes, particularly in poetry, but definitely also in novels, film, and music. Sometimes they are perfectly obvious, and others remain hidden within the text, unseen behind the black and white meaning of the words. Common religious allusions with symbolic meanings often include:

•The Apocalypse: The end of the world is a recurring motif in pop culture in the current generation, and the Four Horsemen who are said to bring with them the Apocalypse often make appearances in literature as well.

•Villains: Every antagonist within literature, in some way, “is descended from the line of Cain,” who is basically the creator of evil in the Bible (Foster 51).

•The story of David and Goliath: The theme of overcoming the odds even when the situation seems impossible also has biblical symbolism.

Symbolic Allusions

• The loss of innocence in mankind is one of the most popular religious references in literature today, and authors use “this biblical parallel with considerable frequency” (Foster 49). • Everyone’s heard the story: Adam and Eve, forbidden fruit, a cunning and treacherous snake. Their actions are considered the original sin, and almost every plot line that includes some form of corruption or transformation from good to evil can be related in some way to the fall from grace that theyunderwent.

A widely known example of this allusion can be found in the Chronicles of Narnia, when Edmund falls under the White Witch’s spell simply because she offers him Turkish Delight. His greed and desperate longing for something so material directly relates to Adam and Eve consuming the apple from the Tree of Knowledge.

Fall From Grace

•Unfortunately, there are also many cases in which religion is parodied, or biblical characters are placed in ironic situations. Though this contrast can provide us with a better understanding of what is occurring within literature or film, “such use of irony can cause trouble” (Foster 52).• Examples of this form of satire can be found even in TV shows such as the Simpsons, whose religious humor often centers on the subject of Christianity and of Christians. The major source of this biblical satire on the show is the character Ned Flanders, who portrays the stereotypical uptight believer, one who does not have any tolerance for other religions. • Even Homer Simpson himself, though he attends church every Sunday, often makes ignorant comments about Christianity, such as, “‘Relax, those pious morons are too busy talking to their phony-baloney God’” (The Simpsons Movie).

Parodies

You don’t have to have a college degree in religious studies to be able to recognize these allusions. Taking the time to look them up once you find them in a book can really aid in your understanding of both the story and the author. However, biblical references aren’t necessarily what makes or breaks a piece of literature. They are not completely and utterly essential to create a best-selling novel, and, once you learn to recognize them within plot lines, the meaning of what you are reading doesn’t radically transform. “Something subtle happens there, but no thunder and lightning” (Foster 55). If religious allusions truly did this, the effect would be lost on the majority of readers, since most of them wouldn’t understand the reference. However, discovering this literary element allows you to experience books in a completely different perspective. The setting, characters, and actions change from two-dimensional words on a piece of paper to three-dimensional images playing out in front of your very eyes. You are able to find hope within the most dismal plot line, and happiness within the darkest characters. By having the ability to relate literature to the Bible, you learn so much more about God’s word and the story of Christ. “And that story never grows old” (Foster 56).Conclusi

on

•Great Expectations is abundant with divine references, from the very first chapter, to the last page of Pip’s journey.•Obvious examples can be found in many cases, such as when Dickens compares the prison ship to “a wicked Noah’s Ark,” and describes Orlick as “[slouching] out, like Cain or the Wandering Jew” (Dickens 31 and 85). •The greatest allusion is most likely one which the reader only realizes after reading the entire book. The parable, or lesson, of the Prodigal Son, told by Jesus in the New Testament, almost exactly matches Pip’s journey from a poor child to a wise man who knows the value of true wealth. The story begins with a young boy who inherits a large fortune. He leaves his father to travel to a distant country, where he wastes his money by living in luxury, and, eventually, he comes to his sense and returns home, in utter shame. However, he is welcomed with open arms, and his father is overjoyed at the return of his lost son.

Examples in Great

Expectations

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

This quote basically says that the Bible is God’s set of instructions for those who choose to believe in it and in Him. How can a book with so much power, authority, and wisdom not be superior to anything and everything within our lives? God’s word provides us with the knowledge we need to live in the way that He wants us to, and it’s content has the ability to get us through both the good times and the bad. Even the Muslims, agnostics, Buddhists, skeptics, Hindus, and atheists who dispute its authenticity have their place in scripture. The Bible truly does speak of nearly every aspect of mankind, and applies to the lives of every single person in this world, whether they are a believer or not.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

This quote basically says that the Bible is God’s set of instructions for those who choose to believe in it and in Him. How can a book with so much power, authority, and wisdom not be superior to anything and everything within our lives? God’s word provides us with the knowledge we need to live in the way that He wants us to, and it’s content has the ability to get us through both the good times and the bad. Even the Muslims, agnostics, Buddhists, skeptics, Hindus, and atheists who dispute its authenticity have their place in scripture. The Bible truly does speak of nearly every aspect of mankind, and applies to the lives of every single person in this world, whether they are a believer or not.

Biblical references provide a way for writers to remind us of what people today seem to be gradually losing: a true appreciation and understanding of the Bible and of its message. With each generation comes a decrease in the number of people who actually read the Holy Book from cover to cover. Why should we read the Bible? How does it apply to us?

How Does this Relate to Me?How Does this Relate to Me?

BibliographyDickens, Charles. Great

Expectations. New York: Dover Thrift Editions, 2001. Print. Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature Like a Professor. New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, Inc., 2003. Print.